About the position
We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead HR Shared Services projects within a large retail organisation.
This is a contract role, onsite in Cape Town.
The successful candidate will coordinate business, HR, technology and operational stakeholders to deliver improvements to shared services processes and supporting systems. This role requires an assertive, practical delivery leader who can engage directly with C-suite executives and take ownership of delivery in a lean environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead HR Shared Services projects from initiation and planning through implementation and handover.
- Work with stakeholders to define scope, business outcomes, requirements and delivery priorities.
- Coordinate HR, shared services, technology, business teams and external partners.
- Manage project plans, resources, milestones, dependencies, risks and issues.
- Coordinate process changes and supporting system activities across affected teams.
- Drive testing, including integration testing and user acceptance testing where applicable.
- Support change management, communications, training and operational readiness.
- Engage executive sponsors, providing clear reporting and securing timely decisions.
- Resolve delivery obstacles and hold stakeholders and delivery teams accountable.
- Ensure completed changes are documented and transferred into operational support.
Essential Requirements
- At least seven years of project management experience with a proven record of delivering complex initiatives.
- Experience delivering HR, shared services, business process transformation or related enterprise systems projects.
- Proven experience delivering for CIO or other C-suite executive sponsors.
- Strong stakeholder management across business and technology functions.
- Ability to coordinate process, system, testing and change activities.
- Confidence challenging constructively, managing competing priorities and driving decisions.
- A practical, hands-on approach, including taking responsibility for activities beyond traditional project management duties.
- Strong governance, planning, risk management and communication skills.
- Willingness to work onsite four days per week and accommodate executive schedules.
Preferred Experience
- Retail experience is highly valued.
- Experience with HR service delivery improvements, process standardisation or shared services transformation.
- Candidates without retail experience must demonstrate strong executive engagement and delivery experience, ideally on CIO-sponsored projects.
Desired Skills:
